


Coming Up Roses

by neatmonster



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dogs, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Kastle Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and a few heavy moments, frank has a beard, frank is a suave motherfucker longing for love, gun mention, it's kinda like a rom-com with very explicit love scenes, mishmash of daredevil and the punisher, small mentions to other characters, tragedy free frank
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:54:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25319395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neatmonster/pseuds/neatmonster
Summary: This takes place during Daredevil’s S2 but Frank never becomes the punisher cause he never married or had kids. Karen, on the other hand, is still haunted by her past. She’s reluctant to date again after having to deal with Matt and what’s going on at that point in her life but Frank quickly changes that.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Comments: 43
Kudos: 67





	1. Thank you, ma'am

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anigmagrl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anigmagrl/gifts).



> This is for Anigmagrl for being so incredibly supportive of my trash stories. I hope you enjoy this one as well. I had a blast writing it, let me tell ya.
> 
> When I asked her what she wanted to read she said _“Pure Kastle fluff. With your sense of humor. And some steamy hotness.”_ (among other things) I think I got most of it down, I hope I did. 
> 
> There's no outline or structure to this and I really don’t know how to categorize it. It was supposed to be a one-shot but ideas kept pouring and I ultimately split the thing into chapters.

Frank was drowsily recovering in his room watching something on TV after Curt left for the night. He just had knee surgery and still halfway high from the drugs, chuckling to a puppy on an ad running around and ruining everything in the house. 

Startled, he almost spills his water at the sound of shots going off all of a sudden, and people screaming and running outside the hallways. On instinct, he reaches for a gun that isn’t there and decides to stand up, but his knee is pinning him to the bed. With his arm still hooked to an IV, he crawls as best as he can to the wall behind the door and sits down, flipping the IV pole sideways, holding it as a weapon, ready for anyone that dared to cross that door. 

“Shit.”

The grip tightens around the steel and his lip curls in a silent snarl, ready to attack when a blonde woman stormed inside, closing the door behind her. He’s quick to retreat as she hangs her head with her back and arms against the door, as if holding it like that would work for shit. With no weapon other than the pen tied to the low hair bun and the cold stare that she throws at him unintentionally, clearly scared at the whole situation. She catches her breath and looks softer when locking eyes with him.

He wasn’t aware that he looked like an injured puppy dog in a hospital gown, bare ass on the floor, holding a pole and he suddenly felt naked and useless, more of the later. He’s a warrior, a marine. This was the last place one would think could be turned into a war zone. He sighs heavily thinking there’s no safe place anymore, everything that was held sacred could turn into ashes in a second. And he wasn’t ready to die then, and he’s definitely not gonna die like this.

As the gun keeps firing, shots echo closer, the woman peaks to the hallway opening the door slightly to see the shadow of the attacker. She quickly shuts it and pushes the bed against the entrance. Then hurries Frank helping him stand to take better cover inside the bathroom. Holding into a grab bar in the shower, he lowers himself as the pain flares through his leg. The woman points at his arm to some blood coming out from the torn needle that was probed to his vein. He must’ve lost the bag a while ago.

“Thank you, ma’am.” He nods, grabbing a towel to clean his arm.

She heaves, brushing some loose hair strands out of the way and taking hold of the weapon Frank was wielding before. “Karen.”

“Frank.” He offers back.

Another explosion rings louder.

He isn’t scared or feels less for having her standing and guarding that second door for a stranger. Maybe it was the drugs, judgment clouded and all, but he’s completely taken away by her. There’s something about the way she keeps herself anchored to the floor. A kinship; a force of nature matching his: all fire, beads covering her face, breathing mindfully to calm herself. It doesn’t matter that she is wearing the most feminine clothes, she looks the part and he believes she could take anyone with just that. 

Another shot explodes at the door of the room but the bathroom remains intact as the attacker goes on his merry shooting way in the hallways. Karen sighs relieved, she thought the next one was for her, but it was just Grotto they were after. She screwed it all up, couldn’t haul his ass fast enough to get him out- and all the turmoil stopped at once with one final bullet and she knew he was dead.

As fast as she appeared, she left when the place got crowded by police taking statements. He wanted to check on her after and asked Officer Mahoney if Karen was still around but alas, she was promptly taken to the station.

  
  


**

  
  


Only for the sake of tormenting herself, Karen Page goes through her mental list of screw ups during the past year, on a daily basis. From getting framed for murder to actually murdering the right hand of one of the most powerful men in Hell’s Kitchen. Even when things seem to be going right, nothing never truly is. The client boost after taking down Fisk is a plus, although still doesn’t help that most of their clients can’t pay. She does her best to be on top of all of it but it all starts to fall again when failing in protecting their newest client, Grotto. When she thinks she's lived it all, she almost gets shot at the hospital after piping up to babysit him.

After that, it’s a series of fallbacks that keep piling up on that list. In the turmoil of it all, something flares between her and Matt, but it doesn't end up quite right. Only days after their first date, as he keeps distancing himself from her and Foggy, she catches him with a woman in his apartment, his ex apparently. 

It isn’t until a week after that she finds herself back at the 15th precinct narrating for a second time her statement for the DA about what happened at the hospital that she meets him for a second time. With her elbow propped on the edge of the front desk and going through her notes, an unfamiliar voice draws her stare away from her notepad.

“Karen, right?” He approaches smoothly, hiding a shy limp on his leg.

She has to stare for a few seconds before recognizing his face, his hair and beard are better groomed and he looks completely different out of that hospital light, lively and handsome underneath those rough features.

Smells better too, she assesses.

“Frank.” Her head tilts, eyes darting between him and the notepad, “they’ve called you too?”

He nods behind his paper coffee cup and takes a sip before responding casually, “yeah, just told them again- heard everything, saw nothing.”

“Lucky you, then.” She scoffs, more ironically than amused. She wasn’t happy at all to be involved in another shooting that ended up with someone she was protecting dead.

His brow knits, capturing that same icy blue stare that she gave him the other day, sharp and could kill with a quick glance. It’s just poking his heart a little right now that he might have hurt her dismissing the gravity of it all.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to lessen what happened.”

“No, no. It’s okay,” she brushes off, explaining, “I was somehow part of it and I… I don’t know, I guess I thought I could’ve saved him but didn’t.”

Understanding way too well that feeling, he states honestly, “still, I should know better. I’m really sorry, ma’am.”

She takes the apology, smiling bashfully with a quick nod and tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“Thank you.”

Mahoney comes by, quickly handing a file copy to Karen of an old case she’s digging into. “There you go, Miss Page. Have fun with it.”

“I wish.”

It goes inside her bag with the notepad and fixes the strap on her shoulder, pointing low with her other palm to the door, offering Frank to walk along.

“Didn’t get the chance to thank you for the other night.” Frank utters, exiting the station, “that was really brave, you know? If it helps, you did the best given the situation. You kept yourself safe and me in the process and that wasn’t all for naught.”

Pressing her lips together, her feet slow approaching her Buick, “yeah, when you look at it that way, I guess it wasn’t.”

Stopping on the sidewall, with a hand fishing for her car keys inside her purse, “this is me.”

“Oh,” he voices a little disappointed by their short walk, “It was nice to see you again, Karen.”

Pressing her lips together, her chin jerks, “you too, Frank.”

So it wasn’t the most conventional way to meet someone, still he doesn’t back up and asks for her number before he can walk away.

“I was thinking if you ever want to have coffee or something.”

“Uh,” Karen hesitates for a moment, “yeah, sure.”

  
  


**

  
  


Frank came home for good a few months earlier. Determined to get a life for himself, a lasting one far away from death. While still in his prime, he was tired of it all or maybe he was just feeling old. Either way, all he knows is that he put his life on hold way too many times and is ready to make something more out of it. Share it with someone.

David tried to convince him to get on with the times and do tinder, but he claimed to be a little old-fashion to just hook up with someone based on a picture, a profile or a swipe, he didn’t quite get the gist of it all when David tried to explain it.

All in good intentions, a few of his friends tried to set him up but nothing really sparked. Not until Karen.

Next time they meet, it’s in a small café, near to where she works. Sitting on a high-top table, opposite to each other, Frank breaks the ice talking about his new job as a private investigator for an insurance company. Meanwhile she quiets herself, barely giving yes or no answers but still listening to everything he’s talking about.

“You seem distracted.” He worries behind his mug.

“No, no. Sorry.” Her head shakes, squaring her shoulders, “I’m here. I just- I’m not sure what I’m doing.”

With a lopsided smile, he shrugs, a little nervous himself, “you and me both. Was I boring you?”

She chuckles lightly, “no, not at all, Frank.”

“Yeah? Cause I almost put myself to sleep talkin’ about that forgery case.” He quips.

Propping her arms crossed on the table, “okay, so tell me something else.”

Taking a breath, he confides in her where he comes from, how his parents had him into their forties, his past relationships, how hard was going back and forth since he joined the marine corps. Without digging too much into it, he lays it out bluntly. Telling a few of his hardest moments when he had to watch a few of his brothers die, or when Curtis lost his leg. Till that dreaded moment that changed his mind instantly to come back home for good.

The man is nothing but honesty in person. He could be lying his ass off just to get into her pants but she can tell he isn’t. She likes that and for a moment she can’t comprehend how someone she just met could be so straightforward with her. At times, he bashfully smiles, scratching at the back of his neck. Others, he’d completely change his tone when talking about something serious, his finger would tap on his cup or the table. He doesn’t try to hide it. It unnerves her a little, she can’t remember the last person who was decent to her. Or last time she was.

There’s so much she relates to, if she could she’d tell him about her brother or anything that has happened since she came to live here, quite sure if someone were to understand, he would. She doesn’t dare to, however. It’s not quite easy for her- she’s pushed it all so far down, it barely echoes in her head anymore. Work, she talks a little about work and her friends, someone named Foggy mostly. 

She’s reserved, sure, he doesn’t mind that. For what he can tell she seems a little troubled right now, and lonely. Probably holding into heavier stuff than most people, he guesses. But she’s assertive and smart, and behind all that she is quick to smile when making a joke, that smile doesn’t go unnoticed to him, it can light up the whole place in a second or kill it when the mood changes.


	2. Small Steps

A few days pass and he worries he digged too deep too fast into his own history for a coffee date. He’s truly forgotten how to do the dating thing, so they casually text a few times after that. Only briefly exchanges about their day. Karen is still half a mystery to him. He doesn’t pry much and she shows her cards in dribs and drabs. Sharing a couple complains about work, her boss tanking a few cases and the lack of clients due to the DA personal vendetta against Nelson & Murdock.

One afternoon, he texted her while walking his dog and she requested a picture of them both, so he sent her a picture of him and Finn in the park. It's just another pro in their favor knowing that she’s partial to dogs; she replies with a loud HOW CUTE to the picture along with a heart emoji. 

On his next message, he suggests she could join them on their daily walk the next day and she agrees.

They meet halfway to their favorite park, it’s really nice and warm outside. Frank shows up wearing sunglasses and a dark hoodie half unzipped with no shirt underneath, while she’s put on a wrap dress with flat shoes. Upon meeting, Finn greets Karen ducking to sniff at her shoes and legs, Frank nods at her and she leans a little to scratch behind his ears and the dog is quickly smitten with her as well. He follows Frank’s orders to the dot on their stroll until they reach their favorite park where he lets him run free to play around with other dogs. He’s a young pit-bull with endless energy and runs like there’s no end to the park. 

They sit under the shade of a big tree watching him keenly. When all the other dogs are tired Finn jogs back to Frank, who pulls a ball out of his pocket and tosses it around for a bit for him to go catch several times.

“You’re good with him.” It suits him, she tells him watching the animal bringing the ball to his owner to toss it once more.

“Nah, he’s easy. Right buddy?” He pets his head and shoots the ball again for him to take off chasing after the toy ball.

A small kid crying gets their attention. They turn around to see a little boy, no more than 4 or 5 years old, sobbing and calling out for someone with his little voice outside the fence. She quickly stands up as Frank calls to Finn to come by his side. Leaving the enclosure, Frank clips the leash on Finn’s collar as Karen approaches the kid, carefully crouching down to ask him what’s wrong.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asks softly. “Are you looking for your mom, sweetie?”

The kid sniffs but doesn’t respond. His face is covered in tears and can’t stop sobbing, saying the same name, Carly, over and over.

“Carly?” Karen repeats.

“My sister.” He mumbles very low.

“Okay, what’s your name?”

“Jason.” His breath falters and she soothes a hand on his little arm.

“Jason, I’m Karen. We’re going to find her okay?” The calmness on her voice soothes the boy just a little.

He nods and Karen looks back at Frank with her lips pursed.

They walk slowly through one of the trails and Karen takes the little boy's hand, trying to get more information out him, he tells Karen he was by the duck pond with his sister and grandma, for what she can decipher out of his timid speech, he was running and looked back and couldn’t see them there anymore.

Frank lags behind with Finn, covering the other side. He spots a mounted officer and quickly approaches him to report what they know. The officer tells them to stay put. After contacting another officer, he takes off riding to search the rest of the park.

On a bench, they wait with Jason for at least half an hour before the officer comes back with a girl and an older woman, who run immediately to hug the little boy.

  
  


**

  
  


Loss is half of Karen’s life, she’s not a stranger to it. It puts a knot on her throat on their way home, thinking of her brother.

Watching her feet, focused on pushing one, after the other.

_ Small steps. Karen _ . She centers herself before confiding in Frank.

“I- I had a brother,” she half glances at him with a sad smile. “Kevin.”

He nods gazing at her with an eye on Finn, closely walking next to him.

His heart breaks listening to her telling about how early in life she lost her mom and brother. She doesn’t get to all the details of his death, but she discloses just enough to show there’s a lot of guilt and regret engraved inside her.

“When we were kids, we were out shopping and I let go of his hand and lost him for five minutes,” she catches her breath, “-just like that. He wasn’t older than Jason. I was supposed to look after him and I didn’t. It was him who looked after me, pushed me to do better, go to college.” 

_ He’s dead because of me. _ Echoes in her head.

“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. Just like those kids. Things like that happen all the time.” He stops her and without noticing his hand is soothing up and down her arm. “Kids are just that… kids. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

Swallowing, she places her palm over his hand. It’s not his touch or his words, but his presence, in all his bulkiness and rough features, he’s sweet and caring. It does something to her, quiets her mind for a moment. Granting her the peace she’s longing. Even if it’s just for a few minutes.

She wants to say thank you, words refuse to come out of her lips, so she just leans to leave a simple kiss on his cheek. His mouth quirks up, and his grip tightens slightly below her elbow.

When she pulls back, he looks down at his dog briefly and clears his throat before noticing the colors heating up her cheeks. She bites her lip, a little self-aware and averts her gaze before moving her feet.

Even though it is far from his own apartment, Frank walks her to her building. They don’t talk much after that, just a few furtive looks here and there.

When she’s putting the key inside, he waits on the first step, waiting for her to get safely inside. It looks like the wrong street for someone to throw a stink eye.

“I’d like to see you again.” He voices making her turn around before she can enter.

Genuinely flattered, her head nods, “Yeah, I’d like that too.”


	3. Late Night

There’s a lot of texting involved nowadays to get to know someone. He’d complain if he didn’t like Karen so much. As an old-fashion guy he’d rather talk for a few minutes but he gives in and, as in anything he does, he becomes pro at it. 

They hang out a handful of times, usually for a walk or a drink, or a casual lunch date. They’ve both been busy with work, Frank suddenly gets pulled into a case that consumes most of his time and Karen is overwhelmed, barely managing to keep the office afloat with Matt half the time gone, and her own investigation piling on the coffee table.

“Please don’t be an asshole.” She texts Frank one night out of the blue after a bad day and a few drinks with Foggy.

He frowns, not quite sure if that was for him. “Are you okay?”

…

...

“No.”

“No? Do you wanna talk?”

She doesn’t answer so he tries calling but doesn't pick up either.

“Karen…” he taps on the edge of his phone, knowing that somethings off, she’s never taken that long to answer, for the little he knows about her, she’s always glued to her cell phone even at night, especially at night. He checks the time and it’s almost midnight. 

“Tell me where you are, I’ll come get you.” He gets out of bed and paces in his bedroom, hoping she’d text or call back, most importantly that she’s okay.

After a few minutes he’s phone dings, “Josie’s.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He quickly puts on some sweats and a hoodie, checks Finn’s asleep and has water on his bowl before leaving the apartment.

When he gets out of the truck, she’s alone leaning on the window next to the bar’s neon sign.

“Hey.”

She vaguely waves looking at the time. “You didn’t have to.”

“Of course I did, Karen. You said you weren’t alright. What happened?”

Evasively she shakes her head, still kinda buzzed.

“C’mon, let’s get out here.” His hand hovers on her arm, as she starts walking, “you hungry?”

“No.”

“Okay, let’s get a coffee then.”

They take a booth in a diner while she sobers up nursing her coffee.

“So,  _ don’t be an asshole _ , huh? Are you gonna tell me what happened?”

“One of those days.” Eyes fixed on her mug, “Matt. He… he tanked a case after Foggy and I spent hours at night doing all the work he just… did what he always does.”

“What is that  _ that he does _ ?”

“Lie, hurt people, disappear, you name it. What was I thinking?” She scoffs, unamused.

“You and him?”

“Briefly, never really went any further than…” she trails off looking outside the window.

“Do you still love him?”

“I don’t think ever did.”

His brow furrows, finishing his coffee and calling the waitress for a refill. Pulling his never ending gentleman call, takes her safely home and returns back with barely 4 hours left to sleep before he has to leave for work. 

Karen texts again in the morning, sober.

“Sorry for last night, I shouldn't have texted you. I knew you had to wake up early and that you have a long day ahead. Next lunch is on me. Have a good day, Frank.”


	4. Drawing Starts on her Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is probably the longest of them all. Beware of ridiculous smut happening and cheesy stuff.

Frank’s ready for something more, he hopes she is too cause he’s about to pull the big guns out: Taking her to Sarah's birthday dinner party. He hesitates at first but the Liebermans are the closest thing he has to a family, and if he hasn’t convinced her yet, he’s sure they will. 

This occasion deserves an actual call, so he leaves texting aside.

“A birthday dinner?” She asks at the other end of the line, sitting at her desk.

“Yeah, but not like that. Just some friends, food, probably cake- I guess.”

“Wow, you really know how to sell it, Castle.” She laughs soundless.

“It’ll take the pressure off, you know? I don’t wanna bore you again with my stories.”

“Frank,” her lips pucker, spinning a little on her chair, “you don’t bore me.”

“No?”

“No, not at all.” She reassures.

“So you’re in?”

“Sure.”

Three days later, he’s neatly grooming his beard, dressing up in casual jeans and black button up rolled to his elbows and picking her up to go to the suburbs. He goes speechless watching her hop into the truck, she’s chosen a simple navy blue dress, backless with two thin stripes crossing in the middle, paired with her mid-heel pumps and a simple black leather clutch. Her hair cascades in curls on both sides. She’s always elegant and beautiful, no matter what but he swallows and stares for a minute, debating whether it is too soon to say something so forward.

“Frank?” Her head tilts.

“Yeah.”

“Do you always stare that much?”

“I- uhh, I’m sorry I just- you look beautiful.”

Karen blushes and grips his forearm for a few seconds, “thank you.”

He starts the car as she buckles her belt.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” She downplays noticing his shirt, once again, has several buttons undone. Damn man, has always the audacity to find a way to show his toned hairless chest at any given time, she actually likes that.

He’s actually more nervous than her but he trusts the Liebermans have nothing but love for him and won’t miss the chance to let Karen know. They’ll probably throw a few embarrassing stories too, he’s sure of that.

His finger starts tapping on the wheel, his posture tense behind the wheel.

Karen clears her throat after noticing that, for what he’s told her these people are like his family, it makes sense for him to be a little uncomfortable. And yeah, perhaps this was way ahead before anything happened between them but honestly, him being willing to be that opened from the beginning, no matter what, eases her more into it. Into him.

So she bites her lip for a second and begins softly humming to the song on the radio to quiet any worries floating around. Her head bobs to the funky rhythm until the chorus comes up, and so do the words to her head.

She blushes reciting the lyrics.

“ _ You're a shining star, No matter who you are... _ ” 

Frank flashes a big smile, his eyes crinkle. He turns up the volume glancing at her and joins her in unison. 

“ _ Shining bright to see. What you could truly be… _ ”

Like a charm, they both relax giving into the music. Ending up laughing by the time they’ve pulled over close to the house. The driveway is blocked by other cars, he actually frowns at that, annoyed as if someone had taken his reserved parking space, which is cause he’s there more often than not. Any of these people, hardly aren't.

He grabs the bouquet of peonies he bought from the backseat, while Karen adjusts the skirt of her dress and slings the bag over her shoulder.

“I guess we’re the cool kids.” Karen points out on their short walk up to the house.

“Listen, if at any point you want to leave just tell me, alright? We don’t have to stay for the whole thing.”

“So, this is what you brought me? to have an excuse to leave early?”

He quickly apologizes, “No, I’m sorry. I- I want you here.”

“Frank.” She stops walking, head tilting, drawing a smile.

“What?”

“I’m messing with you.” 

He hangs his head down for a beat, grinning. “‘Course you are.”

“But if you need to, I can always say that I have to wake up early tomorrow.” She quips, shifting on her heel.

“Funny.” He cracks up a little, motioning to the house, “you tell me when David gets hammered and asks you to dance.”

“Oh, I like dancing.” She quips fast, staring directly at him and sweeping a hand over his arm.

Sarah receives him with a glass of rosé in hand and a house full of people laughing and drinking. She warmly hugs Karen and kisses Frank on the cheek before taking the flowers out of his hands, cradling the bouquet on the crook of her arm. When he turns around he sees Karen taking a little box out of her purse.

“Here.” Her lips sweetly curve handing it to Sarah. “Happy Birthday.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to, sweetheart.” She places the glass of wine on the credenza and opens the box that contains a silver necklace with a small sea glass in a light blue shade. “It’s lovely. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, really. My neighbor makes them.”

“Yeah? Come with me, let’s get you a drink,” Sarah picks up her glass, motioning at Karen to follow before looking at Frank, “oh, you don’t mind, do you? Go find David, he’s around somewhere. She’ll be fine.”

Shrugging like he has no other option, he nods at Karen and sees them disappear to the living room with the rest of the guests.

He finds David in the kitchen, replenishing some of the plates, a wide selection of canapés and nervously eating a handful too.

“Hey, man.” Frank helps himself to a beer from the fridge.

“You’re late.”

“What do you mean I’m late? You said 8. It’s…” gazes at the clock on the wall, “8:10.”

“Where’s your date?” David lifts an eyebrow sipping from his glass.

“With Sarah.”

In the living room, Sarah picks up an empty vase to put the flowers in and offers Karen a drink.

“What’s your poison?”

Karen smiles a little sadly, and slightly overwhelmed by the laughter coming from the backyard and the aliveness of it all. She misses this: celebrations, family time, actual joy...

“Uh, Whiskey.”

“Alright, that’s a real drink. On the rocks?”

“Sure.” 

Sarah pours some ice and bourbon in a tumbler as Karen gets stunned, eyeing Frank from the open french doors to the backyard joking with who she guesses is Leo. She’s setting up speakers attached to an ipod on a table close to the tree house.

“He’s a good one, isn’t he?” Sarah whispers holding the glass in front of her.

“I…” grabbing her drink, she stutters, “I- I think so.”

“He’s a good one.” She states once more, definite, with no chance of rebuttal. Sarah points at them, “he built that with the kids.”

“Yeah?” Her eyes light up.  _ Of course he did. _ “How did you guys meet?”

“He didn't tell you?” Sarah frowns a little surprised, and Karen shakes her head.

“Uhh, you should ask him. I’m not sure if it’s my place... whatever you guys are…” Sarah stutters.

“We haven't…yet…” 

“You must be Karen.” David cuts in offering his hand and saving both the trouble.

  
  


**

  
  


Frank and Karen meet up again when Sarah and David let her free to mingle with the rest of the party.

Sitting at one of the tables outside, the music from Leo’s iPod blast as all kids hang in the tree house. They’ve taken one of the tables outside to eat their cake, underneath, her bare knee accidentally nudges his thigh when uncrossing her legs. Without hesitation, she goes for it and leaves it there, pressing over his jeans. He licks his lips and barely glances at her as he takes a forkful of cake.

Some of the frosting gets on his beard. 

“You have frosting,” she gestures to her own face to the corner of her lips, “there.”

“Hmm.” He wipes the wrong side with a napkin making her laugh. “Did I get it?”

Beautifully beaming, her head shakes grabbing the napkin off his hand and removes every drop of white frosting stuck on his little hairs. “There.” 

Unintentionally, her fingers stroke at his chin twice, raking softly at his beard, before going back to finish her cake.

“You didn’t tell me how you met them.”

“No, huh?” He thinks back for a second, “no, I guess I didn’t.”

She takes a bite and nods, waiting for his answer.

“We go way back, I dated one of Sarah’s best friends in college.”

“Yeah?”

Nodding, he nervously smiles, “Maria.”

“Didn’t work out?”

“No. Well, it did for a while until… she couldn’t put up with me leaving all the time, you know?”

“I don’t think I could put up with that either.” She states truly.

“Good thing, I’m not going anywhere.” His head leans, locking eyes with her.

“Where’s she now?”

“New Hampshire. She comes to every one of their birthdays,” his head leans, vaguely gesturing at the Liebermans, “but she just had a baby.”

“Oh, you guys are still in touch?”

“No, only what Sarah tells me when she’s hittin’ that rosé, you know?”

“Yeah, I’m sure if I go to her right now, she’d tell me everything about you.”

“You already know everything that's to know about me, sweetheart.”

Karen shakes her head and takes her almost a minute to realize he just called her  _ sweetheart _ . 

Finishing their last bites in silence, he plants his elbows on the table with a hand reaching to her upper arm, feather light- a finger runs over her skin, sending a quiver down her spine.

Her bare teeth press on her lower lip as her eyes follow that finger that makes little bumps appear on its trail. Frank's sly smile comes out to play watching her cheeks heat up in a nice shade of pink. She doesn’t see it but he flushes too. When reaching the crook of her elbow, he stops to draw small circles there for a minute before soothing down to her palm. She uncurls her fingers and laces them with his.

“Hey, I have an idea,” he whispers in her ear squeezing on her hand.

“Tell me.”

“Do you wanna get out of here?”

Her eyebrows lift, unsure of what he’s concocting on that beautiful head of his.

“C’mon, not  _ that _ . Give me a little credit.” Frank scoffs.

They sneak out of the party, holding hands casually, and head to his truck. 

He lifts her hand and prints a kiss at the back, smoothly takes the clutch out of her other, “stay here a second.”

Opening the driver’s door he starts fumbling with the radio dial. When he finds a station playing semi decent music, he turns the volume up and shifts on his boots, glaring at her and flashing a smile, holding his hand up, “you wanna dance?”

Bowing, she plants her palm over his and steps closer and drapes her free arm around his neck, as his hand circles around her waist. Under the light of the closest street lamp, sitting a few feet away from them, they begin swaying timidly to a slow song in the middle of the sidewalk. The song fades to the next one and Karen releases his hand and links that arm with her other, hugging his neck and pressing her forehead against his.

Frank breathes on her lips, knotting his arm around her middle. His fingertips wander fumbling underneath the thin straps of her dress to smooth her skin, he counts the little moles on her back making up a constellation out of them. And just like that, it sparks the rest of her flesh to wake up into smaller tiny stars.

Everything about her is perfect and before he can say it, his lips are spelling it out loud for him.

“God, you’re gorgeous.” Low and gruff, and most sultry, nothing compared to the stuttering mess he was earlier when he picked her up.

Her head tilts, nudging softly the tip of his nose before printing a small kiss on his lips. It’s sweet and sexy, his mouth still tastes like lemon cake, she slips in and swirls to steal the lingering flavor from his tongue. 

Might as well steal his heart now, cause he’s done. Definitely. 

Deepening the kiss, he melts inside her, capturing all of her. While his hand moves to cradle the back of her head, twining fingers in gold strands. Her lips shudder gasping for air, he parts for a moment and draws a line kisses all over her jaw and neck. 

“Frank.” She cries, almost chokes at the word, grabbing his face to bring him to her mouth again desperately- craving more of each other, the heat travels low and so does his palms, that land at the curve of her ass.

“Is this okay?” He mumbles between kisses.

“Yes, God. Yes!” The second  _ yes _ is almost too loud, it makes her laugh on his mouth.

His grip is firm and eager, messes her whole skirt up. The fabric is thin and she can feel, well, his crotch bulging up generously somewhere around her hips. She presses against him, and he groans. He feels big alright, she presses again for her own enjoyment, and he gets harder- awakens her own lady boner and if she could grind on it, her lace panties would be ruined already. 

Now, one of his hands roams the side of her leg, palming her thigh and sliding underneath the skirt of the dress. Her skin prickles at the tender stroke of his rough mindful hand; smoothing lightly, leaving her wishing he’d just rip her clothes like an animal..

A car drives by and they come to a halt at once, parting painfully and taking a step back before getting exposed. 

The music is still playing but they stopped listening a while ago. They lock eyes for a millisecond before looking away. Karen’s gaze goes down to the side, bringing her hair to one shoulder averting from evidence straining inside his jeans. Frank covers his mouth, stroking his beard a few times, collecting his breath himself and his thoughts, hardly, while his blood was still gathered at his center. This is not what he had in mind, not at all, not here at least. 

Karen clears her throat and fixes her dress back in place, “how about another drink?” 

Still stunned, poor Frank doesn’t take the hint, “can’t, still gotta drive but I’ll watch you.” 

“Frank.” Her lips suppress a chuckle, locking eyes with him.

“You’re messin’ with me again.” He scoffs.

“I was thinking… my place?”

Licking his lips with a quick nod, “I’d like that.”

  
  


**

Stopping at a red light, he reaches for her hand and links fingers with her over her lap. Her teeth clip her lower bottom gazing at him, her free palm smooths up his forearm and runs her nails back down trailing the same path. 

The wait for the green light feels like an eternity and his finger fidgets, rhythmically tapping on the wheel again. She’s aching in places he’s never touched before, which is most of her body. So she goes for it, impatiently, as the light switches to amber she untangles his fingers and tucks his hand between her legs, pushing her skirt up a little and opening her knees.

He swallows, capturing the blue of her eyes casting a darker shadow while she pushes his hand dangerously close to her juncture. Her body buzzes with anticipation, pulsating and warming up behind her underwear- and he’s hard again.

He misses the stoplight jumping to green.

“Drive.” She mouths, not a sound, only a gasp.

His eyes dart between her and the all rear-view mirrors as he steers as safely as her touch allows. He doesn’t move that hand but she pushes softly against it. The only thing he can't think of fulfilling her every need. Her place is not close enough and his is even further, if he was younger he’d just pull up at the nearest curb and just fuck her but no, he most definitely isn’t, and she deserves better than a quickie in a car.

By the time they reach her building, they’ve not cooled down just one bit. She kicks off her pumps behind the door after closing it and turning the lamp at hand on the cabinet and leaving her clutch right next to it. Frank locks his arms around her waist and buries his face at the crook of her neck, nibbling and kissing every inch, her legs quiver and she props her palms on the door trying to stay steady.

“You really want this?” He mumbles on her skin.

“Yes.” She breathes and pushes him back, turning around as she slides the straps off her shoulder. Watching him, slowly advancing towards him, holding his eyes on hers.

He doesn’t break from her gaze but he’s not blind to the rest of her.

_ Breathtaking. _

“Take off your clothes, Frank.” She urges nodding at the bed behind him.

“Yes, ma’am.”

He quickly starts undoing his shirt at the same time Karen steps out of her dress placing it carefully on the sofa. His leg hits the trunk at the foot of the bed. He’s on her territory now and he takes a quick glance around. Before he realizes, her hands are pushing his shirt off him, leaving it to fall behind him. Her hands smooth down his defined muscles to his belt. Her lip quirks up giving a little tug before undoing it.

His palms move frame her jaw, crushing into her lips most hungrily. If he isn’t careful, he might go off too soon so he focuses on her mouth as she unzips his pants, it serves for nothing cause promptly her hand is reaching over his underwear and curling around his boner.

“Fuck.” He mumbles on her lips.

“Do you have a condom?”

“I think so.” He parts momentarily, reaching for his wallet tucked on his left pocket and unfolds it. “Yeah, here,” he takes it and hands it to her, sitting on the bed to unzip his boots as Karen bites the inside of her mouth, collecting herself for a moment, thinking;  _ please don’t be an asshole. _

When his boots are off, she resumes her caresses as he stands to pull his pants down.

Both stripped down to their underwear, they hug for a minute feeling each others bodies in the space between Karen’s bed and dresser. Frank’s palms roughly cover all her body, her nipples harden underneath every caress. He stops for a second and carefully squeezes one of them harder, trailing down, one of his hands sneak underneath the front of her panties, a finger slides into her folds tasting the waters, and they’re wet alright. 

She moans on his neck, and pushes herself back to get rid of her panties. At some point foreplay has gone for too long and she’s afraid they both will explode the second they fuse into each other. Hopefully not.

Karen nods at the bed and he takes a seat on the edge getting rid of his boxers as she unwraps the rubber. Promptly, her legs are straddling his lap and she’s gingerly rolling the condom in place.

Her lips press together firmly, admiring his body reacting to her touch; nails run up and down his torso before curling her fingers around his cock. Frank lets out a low groan, gripping at the curve of her ass while she steadies herself, with her free hand propped on his shoulder, she lines up with his dick and, slowly, her hips sink on him.

All her senses melt into that one spot and her breathing becomes choppy, pressed on the corner of his mouth, exhaling the warmness coming out of his lips. She slides up and down gradually, adjusting her posture, molding her entrance to his thickness. Taking every inch, discovering new spots inside her walls that haven’t been struck like that in... not ever, not that she can recall now.

His breath falters, growls deep on her mouth, as his body strains underneath her every move, he has to fight the urge to come. He can feel her fingers digging on both sides of his hair doing everything in their power to bring him down. Her hips become easily desperate. She switches to roll instead on his lap. His grip tightens on her ass, holding her firmly when her legs quiver- moving with her, pushing her deeper and faster to him. She contracts around him and he groans even louder between a couple of curses. Countering with a moan of her own she nips at his lower lip, as his hand slides up to cradle the back of her head and his tongue comes up to play wildly with hers.

_ Almost. _

He waits for her.

When her body tense around him, and her arms lock around his neck, holding for dear life when all her force becomes strained, he pushes into her long and deep until she cries out his name climaxing, trembling on his arms and her walls press around his dick, harder this time, repeatedly stirring his every drop to fill that little barrier between them.


	5. Matt Who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heyo, playful Frank is the best Frank.

She wakes up a little dizzy to the sun burning almost too brightly on her face, the covers smothering her body and the smell of coffee brewing. Forgetting for a second Frank stayed last as he has been doing every two or three days when he doesn’t have to wake up early. Squinting, her eyes open to the sight of his broad back, standing in the kitchenette. Sighing, she rolls adjusting the covers, pushing the bedspread down to her feet and extending her arm to close the shutters, some of the light still filters through.

“Mornin’.” He turns at the sound.

“Morning.” She reclines on the headboard, placing a pillow on her back. “You’re making coffee already?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Getting out of bed, her head leans amused at his never ending politeness. She puts on an oversized t-shirt from her dresser and strides to the bathroom. In the meantime Frank has made himself at home and walks around on his boxers picking the rest of his clothes up that were tossed around last night and straightening them on the couch for later, while the coffee maker finishes.

When she comes up, she scans the studio looking for her phone. Figures it’s inside her bag. She checks the few messages from Foggy, Matt and one from Ellison. Frowning, her head shakes and paces for a bit. Frank finds two mugs and pours coffee for both. 

“Everything alright?” He hands her a mug.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Are you sure?”

She nods, a little sad, “just work. Foggy. He’s considering leaving to work for Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz.”

“That’d be a step up.”

“More than one actually.” She sips some of her coffee.

“You don’t want him to?”

“No, he’s worked so hard, he deserves that but it just breaks my heart how Matt has handled… everything lately. I mean Nelson & Murdock was their dream. I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t...” and she picks up the picture of the three of them from the dresser, stares and blinks for several seconds before flipping it down.

“Was Matt the- uhh…”

“Asshole? Yeah, he texted me too. Said we had to talk.”

“Are you?”

She cocks her head and plops back into bed. “I don’t know.”

Frank sits next to her and hesitantly puts a hand on her knee. “You know you’re gonna be fine right? Even if Nelson & Murdock is no longer  _ Nelson & Murdock _ .”

“God, you always have an answer for everything?”

“Not really.” His lip pulls up, leaving his coffee on the side table. “I have an idea.”

“Another one? So soon?” She quips fast, scrunching her nose.

“Careful, I was going to make you forget about  _ the asshole _ but if you don’t wanna…” He squeezes purposely on the middle of her bare thigh, half standing up.

“No, no” She urges, grabbing his arm and pulling him down next to her. “I wanna.”

Frank laughs biting at his lower lip and brushing her hair to the side, “ok, but I need you out of this shirt,” he pulls the hem up to see her free from underwear, “and laying back.”

Karen quickly places her mug next to his and squirms out of the shirt, settling her back against the mattress as Frank crawls over her putting her hands over her head and kissing her softly.

“Matt who?” he whispers on her lips.

“Very funny.”

Drawing a grin, he crawls back with her body between his legs, drawing a line of kisses and nibbles on her body, with his beard tickling and scratching here and there behind his lips, from her neck to her collarbones. He palms her breast at his passing through her sternum and stomach. His tongue juts out and circles around her navel. Her belly hollows in a shudder and he can hear her gasping when he opens her legs wider to dive into her center.

“Matt who?” He playfully says again, eyes going up to hers.

She bites her lip watching him as he kisses both thighs a couple times. Her hands move to rest at his head, following his every move. Then he reaches her sweet spot, tracing her slit with the tip of his tongue before pushing her lips open. He takes a good look at her pussy and his mouth quirks up before tasting her. He licks and kisses, tenderly- painfully teasing as her hands grip at his hair, desperately wanting to feel his tongue harder on her clit.

He digs deeper at her entrance, swirling around as her hips tilt drawing him closer and closer. Parting wider, he savors all of her tartness when her juices start flowing. His teeth scrap her clit before wrapping his lips around that hard nub. Karen’s moans only push him to suck more viciously, his tongue twists and changes pressure every few seconds hoping that by the time he’s done with her that name has disappeared from her vocabulary.

“FFFRANK.” She pants ragged yanking on his hair.

He’s almost there.  _ She’s _ almost there.

Her body strains and he sucks a little harder, sliding his palms underneath her legs and up to stroke the rest of her body. Reaching his breasts, he squeezes on them, clipping her nipples between his fingers and she chokes on a moan, damning his name louder once more as she comes undone.

His lips smooth ever so lovely on her inner thigh while she recovers.

When he looks up again, delighted, he whispers again, “Matt who?”

“What?” She breathes beaming, beautifully glowing like the sun.

He takes that as a win.


	6. What if I told you...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little heavy.

Frank worries when he finds her gun.

They've been going out for three weeks and when searching the box of condoms she pointed to, he opens the wrong drawer. There’s a .380 and a box of ammo.

He picks it up and turns to her- half naked, waiting for him on the bed. She leans on her elbows, lips pursing. “I said the first drawer.”

“You just pointed, sweetheart.” He frowns, holding it palms up and sitting next to her. “Is there something you wanna tell me?”

“I have a permit.” She brushes off casually.

“Karen.”

“It’s just a gun, Frank. You have one too.”

He does, it’s one of the things he told her when he took her to his place, one he carries occasionally while working, most of the time staying locked in a safe.

“And I told you right off the bat cause I didn’t want you to think that I was hiding it from you. You could’ve just told me after.”

She scowls, taking it back and throwing to its former place and leaning back on the dresser. 

“What do you want me to say…” her shoulders shrug, “you have your reasons and I have mine.”

“Well, that’s bullshit.” 

Her arm crosses on her middle with her other elbow propped on it, as her hand gestures vaguely, struggling to get the words out, “look where I live, Frank. Since I came to New York, it’s been a thing after the other and one time… it was enough, and even before that… I’ve never felt safe.”

It’s dark but he can see her eyes welling up, as her palm covers her mouth. His heart shatters listening to her, wishing he could relate but he doesn’t. His palm hovers at the side of her arm, wanting to hold her, but she lightly coils taking half a step to the side.

“What was enough? Please, talk to me.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She walks past him heading to the bathroom and locks herself in, close to drowning in her own remembering what happened when James Wesley took her.

She tries to swallow and hide her sobs, pressing both her hands on her mouth, but he hears them clearly as he waits outside the door.

“Do you want me to go?” He asks softly, leaning on the wall next to the bathroom’s door.

Her voice falters and chokes as she tries to answer, she doesn’t know what to answer or how he would look at her if he knew what she did.

“No.”  _ Please don’t go.  _

It’s watery and low but he hears her and nods to himself. 

“Give me a couple minutes.” 

He sits on the couch, elbows resting on his knees, head down, hands clasped- listening to the water run in the bathroom sink, where she’s washing her face and drinking some water.

“Hey.” She steps out wearing one of his shirts that was hanging in the bathroom.

“Are you alright?”

Her mouth twists, as her head shakes, slowly striding to the couch and sitting next to him, lifting her legs to his lap.

“I shouldn’t have pushed.” His palm soothes her thigh. “You’re right, I could never understand how you feel, sweetheart. I can’t even imagine… but if there’s anything goin’ on you have to tell me. I can’t not leave later tonight or- or tomorrow knowing that you don’t feel safe.”

Tears keep welling up at the corner of her eyes, “you don’t need to protect me.”

“What do you mean I don’t need to protect you? You have any idea how much you mean to me?”

Karen nods.

“Do you?” His head tilts.

“Yes, Frank.”

“Do you feel safe with me?”

She nods again, tucking herself closer to his chest as his arm snakes around her.

“C’mere.” He snuggles her body, soothing his palm at her ribcage placing and pressing his lips on her forehead. 

Karen dozes off in his arms for almost an hour.

When she wakes up at the sound of a loud thunder, his head is propped against the backrest, pretty much out of it himself.

It starts pouring outside and she gives a little tug on his shirt. “Frank?”

Her fingers scratch softly at the curve of his neck and he jerks up awake. Blinking a bit disoriented until he sees her face, “hey.”

“Hey. Can I ask you something?”

His chin jerks and he half-yawns.

“Would you still care about me if I told you I did something horrible?”

Thinking for a few seconds, “I would, yeah.”

“Why?”

“I’ve seen people do horrible things, Kare. Stuff of nightmares, let me tell you. Whatever you think you did, I know there must’ve been a good reason behind it.”

She lets that sink in for a moment.

“What if I told you that I love you and that- that nothing you say can’t change how I feel about you?” Says Frank boldly.

“You love me?” she pushes herself out of his lock to capture his eyes.

“Yeah, I love you. I fucking do.” his palm moves to cup her face, “you don’t have to-”

“I love you, too.” She says leaning into his touch, smiling softly and kissing his palm.


	7. Payback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight time jump to their established relationship.
> 
> I felt dirty writing this for Frank...

She didn’t expect Ellison giving her Ben's office on her first day. Those are some big shoes to fill and her new pumps are grazing the back of her heel. Holding into the leather strap of her bag, she follows Mitchell all around the office getting looks from everyone.

She settles in the new space, swiveling side to side on her chair staring at the blank screen. Once she starts typing, words fly out of the tip of her fingers. She goes over the article a few times before checking with Ellison again.

At lunch, Frank comes to visit with a gift.

“You brought me flowers?” She beams, taking the small pot of white roses out of his hands.

“Yeah,” he takes a quick look around, “I thought you were getting a desk so I held on to the bouquet.”

She smells them and places them on the window sill. When she turns around Frank is closing the door shut and the blinders.

“What the hell are you doing?” She chuckles crossing her arms.

“Payback.” His lips quirk up in the most devilish way.

“This is what you came here today?”

“Not at first.” He takes his jacket off striding towards her, scanning her whole body, “but seein’ you have an office and all, punishment should fit the crime.”

“Frank.” She hushes, amused, holding a palm up to stop him, “it’s my first day.”

“It shouldn’t take long. Ain’t that what you said last time?”

“I- I don’t remember.” She goes around the desk promptly, avoiding his touch.

He bites his lower lip slowly chasing her. “You don’t, huh? That’s convenient. Cause I remember perfectly you coming into my office with no panties and-”

“Babe, please.” Karen laughs reaching the corner and shoving the chair in front of him.

“C’mon, nobody is going to know.” 

Then her back is against the wall, her mind keeps screaming  _ no _ , but the way Frank’s chasing her like that makes her body react differently. Taking a step closer, his hands go directly at her waist and pulls her flush against his as his palms meander to her rear, tightly pressed underneath her pencil skirt as he turns her body around to face the desk Karen bites her lip and props a palm on the surface, with the other railing him into her neck. Leaving sloppy kisses from behind he reaches to the hem of her skirt and crinkles it up to her waist, swiftly covering her center over her panties as her legs part wider.

“We have to do something about these... Don't you think?” he utters, fingers pressing harder.

“Yes.” A gasp brushes her lips and she has to hold herself with both palms planted on the desk now, slightly arching her back with her ass pressing on his crotch.

He shushes at the curve of her neck, pushing his hips against her rear while his erection builds up by the second.

Then he squeezes her ass lightly and tug the lace fabric down to her feet. When his hand is back at her pussy, his fingers slide up and down, rubbing her clit, “do you remember now, Miss Page?”

Shuddering, she lowers her voice, “yes, I remember.”

“Good. Tell me.”

“Frank, please.” She urges.

He rubs rougher, “I won’t until you tell me.”

Biting the inside of her mouth, she buries a moan in her throat.

All hushed and ragged, she recounts what she did a few weeks, “you told me to bring you a clean shirt cause you spilled coffee on yours and-- in the car I took my underwear off…

“And why did you do that?” his fingers never stop moving and sliding on her slickness.

“Shit, I- I wanted to play with you.”

“Then what happened.” He stops for a minute to undo his belt and zipper.

Karen bends over the desk on her elbows, and peaks over her shoulder amusedly frowning, “I gave you the best blow you ever had. You should be thanking me.”

He scoffs, grabbing his cock and running it on her slickness, “yeah, I should.”

The workspace noise fades into the background. She hums low and hangs her head, bracing herself on the wood as he grips at the curve of her ass with one hand, lining up with her with his other. Pushing inside her walls with a long and smooth thrust, he moves swiftly in and out, fighting the urge of slamming into her hips, he can only grasp tighter at her meat to ground himself.

She clears her throat in an attempt to hide her moan as her body arches up, pleading at his name.

“Shh, shh…” he moves a palm to cover her mouth, and brings her closer to her chest to whisper in her ear, gruffly, “you feel so good.” And her hips start circling back against him, “that’s it, come with me, sweetheart.” 

Clenching her eyes shut, she peaks after he releases inside her, as a jolt runs from her center to every nerve’s ending. His arm anchors her body from falling on the spot, muffling her cry underneath his hand. 

When she relaxes, he places a few kisses on her head and lets her rest on the surface. 

“Hold on, I don’t want you to mess your clothes.” He tucks himself, zips his pants and scans the area for a tissue paper.

“Drawer.” Says Karen.

And he mindfully cleans her up before adjusting her skirt back in place. Then he snags her panties off the floor and pockets them.

“Frank, what the hell?” She scolds shifting on her heels.

He leans, quickly pecking at her mouth, “you’ll get them later.”


	8. Brooklyn Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another time jump. There are things mentioned here that happened in between but I didn't get into them.
> 
> This is the last one sadly, I had more ideas for this story but I have to focus in another Kastle thing I'm working on and get back to my other wips. But if I ever get bored I'll come back to add a few more scenes. 
> 
> If you hit 'next chapter', you'll find some art and a link to a playlist I did for this.

After New Year's, Frank and Karen move in together into a new apartment in Brooklyn. One bigger than their last two combined.

With Finn laying by her, she kneels on the floor flipping through Frank’s photo album. It’s a thin one with few pictures of his youth, his parents, friends and some of his unit. She recognizes Curt and her heart clenches at one with Schoonover and Billy. Swallowing hard, she quickly flips to the next page to find the portrait of him in his uniform. She stares at it for a few minutes, tracing the edge of his sharp jaw. She loves his beard but she’s never seen him clean-shaven yet since they started dating. He looks handsome.

Finn wags his tail to get her attention and she scratches his belly before getting the rest of the stuff out of the box.

She realizes that all their pictures are stored in their phones, so in the afternoon they make a selection of their favorites to print. Some go into the album and three of them are placed on one of the shelves in the living room. One of the two of them with Finn in the park, another one of whey they went to the beach last summer and a third one at Foggy’s wedding, the photographer capture that at the reception, it was almost the end of the night and his arm was wrapping her while her head was laying on his shoulder. Foggy sent them a few discarded ones and she kept them all. 

His arms lock around her waist from behind as she tilts the frame slightly. “There, perfect.”

They stare into that particular picture, and Frank asks, “would you consider marrying me if I asked?”

Her face slightly turns, frowning, “are you asking for real?”

Frank chuckles, “babe, when I ask you for real, it's not gonna be covered in paint like this.”

Her hand reaches to run her fingers on his beard, “in that case… yeah, I’d consider.”

He presses his mouth on her cheek, widely smiling, “one day I will, I promise.”

“Who knows? Maybe I beat you to it. Would you consider it if I asked?”

He huffs, “nothing would make me happier.”

“How about another dog?”

“You want another dog?”

“Uh-huh, or maybe a cat. We have space now.”

“Okay, let’s settle first, let him adapt and then we’ll get him a new friend.” And he looks at the dog, “what do you say, boy? Do you want another friend?”

The buzzer goes off and Finn barks twice startled.

“I’ll get it.” Frank says taking a few bills out of his wallet to get their food.

Karen crouches and soothes the dog, scratching behind his ears and placing a kiss on his head,“it’s okay, baby. You’ll get used to it.”

She goes to the kitchen to get the drinks and fill Finn’s bowl with his food, he follows with a low whine, “are you hungry too? There you go.” She coaxes him to his eating area. He is reluctant at first, but she pets him and encourages him softly until he starts eating, “you’re such a good boy.”

“How about a baby?” Frank half-jokes placing the pizza box on the counter.

Karen stares sharply at him, reaching for a couple of beers from the fridge, “I hope you’re joking, Castle.”

“Okay, maybe not a baby.”

She lifts her arms to link around his neck, holding his gaze, “I’m not saying no, just wait a few years.” 

His hands rest at her waist, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Do you know how much I love you?”

His head leans side to side, “I have a pretty good idea.”

Scoffing, “I’d marry you tomorrow if you’d ask. I don’t fucking care if you’re covered in paint.”

“Is that so?” He beams, pressing his forehead against hers. “Then let’s do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Karen Page, will you marry me?”

Biting her lower lip, she nods, “yes.”


	9. [Art + Links]

**[Tumblr Post](https://neatmonsterr.tumblr.com/post/623840207041609728/coming-up-roses-10657-words-by-neatmonster) | [Spotify Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6OumU3LxZAqgNMXbx4M1ej?si=UekSjnW5RGufLL1wmgZTnA)**


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